Slidable planning display boards



y 1970 A. cHAuvm 3,521,382

SLIDABLE PLANNING DISPLAY BOAI YDS Filed May 1, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 m V x. H V C Jib M [xii I A a 2 ll .1 Y I 2 'P ATTORNEY July 21,1970 "A.CHAUVIN 3,521,332

SLIDABLE PLANNING DISPLAY BOARDS I Filed May 1, 1968 v 48heets-Sheet 2 ANDRE CHAuvm INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jul 21, 1970 A. CYHAUVIN 7 3,521,382

SLIDABLE PLANNING DISPLAY .soAnns Filed May 1, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORNEY July 21, 1970 A. CHAUVIN summ: PLANNING DISPLAY BOARDS Filed May 1'. 1968..

4 sheets-Sheet 4 AND E CHAUVIN 'INVENTOR I /Mzw Q-P M ATTORNEY States Patent 3,521,382 SLIDABLE PLANNING DISPLAY BOARDS Andr Chauvin, 6 Rue aux Ours, Paris 3, France Filed May 1, 1968, Ser. No. 725,761 Claims priority, application France, May 8, 1967, 105,573 Int. Cl. G09b 19/18 US. C]. 3524 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The display board comprises a plurality of elements slidable in slideways on a support. These elements cooperate with a cord-holder from which can be drawn cords carrying, at their free ends, pegs to be inserted in holes provided in the elements. The cord-holder is hinged to the support so that it can be moved sufliciently far forward to permit the nearest element to be removed bebind the cord-holder. The remaining elements can then he slid towards the cord-holder, and the removed element can be replaced in line with the other elements, but remote from the cord-holder.

The present invention relates to display boards and more particularly to planning display boards, and most n0 tably though not exclusively to display boards of this kind associated with a plurality of horizontal cords equipped at their free ends with pegs or the like for fixing them to said boards, said cords being preferably, when not in use, almost entirely retracted (except for the pegs) into a cord-holder mounted on said support and defining a common origin for said cords, and, when in use, drawn against countering return means such as springs mounted in the cord-holder, whereby to materialize horizontal lines of variable length representing, for example, the evolution with respect to time of a variety of information, data and the like, intended to be displayed together on a planning board.

Experience shows that it is often useful to change the common origin (preferably materialized by the points of exit of the cords from said cord-holder) of all such information, data and the like, for instance in order to permit rotation of a calendar scale.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide an improved display board which meets better than heretofore the various requirements encountered in practice, especially in respect of ease of utilization.

The present invention consists principally in providing such an improved display board with a plurality of panel elements removably mounted on a fixed support and preferably slidable along slideways, in hinging the cord-holder on said support in such a manner as to enable it to be moved from a position (hereinafter called the closed position) wherein it lies along the path of travel of said elements into a position (hereinafter called the open position) sufliciently remote from the common plane containing said elements for the element normally closest to the cord-holder to be removed from said support, together with the free pegs or other indicator marks which said element may be carrying, by sliding it behind the cordholder, and preferably in further providing said boards with means-normally out of action, but actuated automatically when said cord-holder is moved into the open positionfor blocking the other of said panel elements in the positions they occupied previously and preventing them from moving towards the cord-holder.

With a display board devised according to the invention, it becomes easy for example to change the origin applicable to the information, data and the like displayed on the board, by permutating said elements, the one near- 9 Claims est the origin points of the cords (hereinafter referred to for the sake of convenience as the first element, the neighbouring elements being then designated as a whole by the second and other elements and singly as the second, third or last element as one moves farther away from the first element) being then required to occupy the place which the last element previously occupied, after the element which was previously the second element has moved into the position which was occupied by the first element, and so on.

Such permutation can furthermore be carried out without the need to perform beforehand the tedious task of removing the pegs or other fixing members from the cords attached to those elements which are merely required to move closer to said origin points in the course of the permutation and of subsequently putting them back in place.

The description which follows with reference to the accompanying non-limitative exemplary drawings will give a clear understanding of how the invention can be carried into practice.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows in perspective a preferred embodiment of a display board with permutatable elements according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of part of one of said elements of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of means for hinging the cord-holder to the display board;

FIG. 4 shows in perspective with partial cutaway a preferred embodiment of means for releasing the movement of the second and other board elements, certain parts of this embodiment having been omitted for a better comprehension of the figure; and

FIG. 5 shows a part of a device for blocking the release means.

The embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings for exemplary purposes refers to a planning display-board comprising four elements which can be permutated from right to left. The illustrated display board includes a support .1, four elements A, B, C and D- (FIG. 1) capable of sliding in upper and lower slideways 2a and 2b carried on said support, and a cord-holder 3 forming a housing for cords 4 and for springs (not shown) which tend to retain the cords within the cord-holder. These cords, which are adapted to be drawn out of cord-holder 3 against the countering springs, are equipped at their free ends with pegs 5 capable of being inserted into holes 6 provided for this purpose along horizontal lines in said elements A, B, C, D, whereby the cords 4 materialize horizontal lines. The cord-holder 3 is so hinged to the support 1 as to allow it (the cord-holder 3) to be moved forwardly of the common plane containing said elements to an extent suflicient to enable the first element A1(which may still be carrying some free m'arker pegs) to be removed by s iding it bebind the cord-holder.

The cord-holder itself is preferably devised in the form of a panel abutting the first element A and carrying visible cards 3a (one per cord). In its closed position the panel 3 lies substantially in the same plane as permutatable elements A, B, C, D.

Each element A, B, C, 1) consists of a perforated plate protected along its four sides by U-section metal edging (FIG. 2). Preferably, the lateral edgings 7 are bulged as at 8 at the top and bottom to enable a label to be inserted under a cellulose protector across the full width of an element. The top and bottom edgings 9a and 9b are provided with skids 10a and 10b cooperating with said slideways 2a and 2b, the lower slideway being preferably U-shaped and lined with a slideway surface 11 made, for example, of vulcanized fibre.

The elements are accordingly capable of sliding on their bottom skid 1012, being guided laterally on their top skid 10a which engages into the upper -U-shaped slideway 2a. Preferably, the upper slideway 2a includes a ramp 12 positioned above the first three elements A, B, C and interrupted above the fourth element D. At this point the clearance between slideway surface 11 in the lower slideway 2b and the bottom of upper slideway 212 is increased by an amount a to enable one of said elements to be inserted.

Considering next the manner of mounting the hinged panel 3 forming said cord-holder on the support 1 of elements A, B, C, D, this panel is hinged at its top and bottom through the agency of any convenient hinge means generally designated by reference numeral 13 and comprising "a first pin 14 and a second pin 16, guided respectively within grooves 17 and 18 which are fixed relative to support 1 and which are set at an angle to each other, the first groove 17 being preferably parallel to the Plane of the display board (FIG. 3). The said angle is so chosen that the resulting combined rotation and translation of panel 3 on the one hand allows, when it is moved into its open position (shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 3 and determined by the pin 16 abutting against the bottom of groove 18), the free passage for the element A to be withdrawn between the rear edge 19 of hinge panel 3 and the support 1, and on the other hand does not substantially modify the length of those cords whose associated pegs have been inserted into holes in elements B, C and/ or D.

Indeed it will be appreciated that should there be a large number of pegs inserted into the holes in elements B, C and/ or D, any substantial change, during actuation of panel 3, in the lengths of the cords in their operative positions would lead to an equally substantial change in the Sum of the forces exerted on these cords by their associated return springs and that this could interfere with such actuation, requiring for instance great force to be exerted by the operator to return the panel 3 into its closed position.

It is a further teaching of this invention that, particularly in cases where element A abuts panel 3 (FIG. 3), the edge 20 of the latter should preferably form a ramp having a surface which slants away slightly from the surface of the corresponding edge 7 of element A. When panel 3 is returned into its closed position, this ramp helps to accurately locate the element A should it have been retained in position (reinsertion taking place behind panel 3) while panel 3 was in its open position.

It is yet another teaching of this invention that means are provided for blocking the elements B, C and D in the positions they occupy in their slideways when hinged panel 3 is moved into its open position, since it is extremely important to avoid causing the elements B, C and D to be entrained leftwardly after the element A as a result of the pull-which can become considerable-exerted on them by those cords whose pegs are inserted into e ements B, C, D.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the said blocking means act upon push-buttons 21 of members for releasing the movement of elements B, C and D in their slideways 2a, 2b, most notably when element A has been removed and hinged panel 3 returned into its closed position, said release members being positioned respectively proximate the top and bottom of the front wall 7 of second element B.

Reference is next made to FIG. 4 for an illustration of that one of said release members which cooperates with the lower part of element B and which basically comprises a tongue 22 coacting with the abutment-forming front end 23 of the B-element skid b, said abutment being formed rearwardly of the front edge 7 of said element. Release of element B for leftward movement thereof is obtained by depressing pushbutton 21 against a countering spring 24 that urges tongue 22 into the position wherein it interdicts leftward movement of the element.

A preferred embodiment of the blocking means includes a fiat bolt 26 (omitted in FIG. 4) formed with an opening 27 therein and restrained, against a countering spring 28 (FIG. 3) by hinged panel 3 when the same is in its closed position, in a position wherein it permits the passage of the rod 29 of release pushbutton 2-1 through said opening 27, said rod 29 being itself formed with a groove 31 into which the edges 32 of said opening engage when Said bolt has been released by bringing said cord-holder into its open position.

Movement of flat bolt 26 in the direction for blocking of the pushbutton 21 of the B-element release member is preferably controlled through a roller 33 (FIG. 3) carried by said pin 14 and remaining in continuous contact with said bolt, whereby the bringing of hinged panel 3 into its open position displaces pin 14 and hence roller 33 leftwardly, as shown in FIG. 3.

The return of the hinged panel into its closed position is accompanied by the rightward thrust of the roller 33 and hence of the bolt 26, whose opening permits anew the free passage of the rod 29 of the release pushbutton of element B.

It will readily be appreciated from the foregoing that the elements can be permutated with great facility, it being possible to remove element A from behind hinged panel 3 while at the same time leaving in position the cords extending up to elements B, C and D.

The manner of operation of the different elements of the subject display board of this invention is as follows:

During utilization of the display board, the cords 4 are drawn out and the pegs 5 inserted in succession into elements A, B, C, D. When element A is free, it must obviously be positioned following element D for reutilization.

To this end hinged panel 3 is moved into its open position wherein it permits extraction of element A from behind. The tongues 22. restrain the elements B, C, D which are drawn leftwardly by the tension in the return springs of all the cords. The three elements B, C, D cannot be freed accidentally since the opening of hinged panel 3 will have blocked the tongues 22 by virtue of bolts 26 interdicting the use of pushbuttons 21.

The hinged panel 3 is then reclosed, unblocking the means for actuating the tongue 22. The next step is to simultaneously press the two upper and lower pushbuttons 21, thereby freeing elements B, C, D which can slide leftwardly, with element B moving into the position previously occupied by element A, C into that of B, and D into that of C. The extracted element A with the cords removed therefrom can then be inserted into the now free position previously occupied by element D.

The element A can alternatively be used to indicate constants; its location will accordingly not change and the operation will involve extracting element B. The element A which was extracted as just described will therefore not be reinserted into the previous location of D. Hinged panel 3 is again moved into its open position, enabling element B to be extracted and the element A bearing the constants to be reinserted in its place from behind the hinged panel, its exact location being preferably defined as hereinbefore disclosed through its edge 7 coacting with the ramp 20 on hinged panel 3.

It will be noted that this display board permits the elements A, B, etc. to be removed without shifting these elements downwards, which is a disadvantage inherent in many prior display boards.

It goes without saying that many changes and substitutions of parts may be made to the exemplary embodiment hereinbefore described, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. By way of example, the cord-holder could be fixed, the first element being then capable of rearward displacement together with its slideway sections (the latter normally forming extensions of the slideway sections of the other elements), means for blocking the device for releasing movement of the other elements in their slideways being then likewise provided in order to block the release members of the second and other elements so long as the slideway sections associated with the first element have not been restored into their initial positions.

What I claim is:

1. A planning display board comprising a support,

a cord-holder mounted on said support,

a plurality of cords, each cord having one end housed in said cord-holder and being adapted to be drawn out from said cord-holder by its free other end, said cord-holder defining a common origin for said cords,

a plurality of panel elements removably mounted in a common plane on said support successively from said cord-holder,

means removably secured to said panel elements and adapted to be connected to the free ends of said cords,

hinge means mounting said cord-holder on said support so that said cord-holder can be moved from a closed position in which it is located along the path of travel taken by said panel elements during their removal to an open position sufliciently remote from the common plane of said panel elements for the element closest to the cord-holder to be removed from said support, by sliding said closest element behind said cord-holder together with any cord-securing means carried by said closest element but unattached to said cords.

2. A planning display board according to claim 1 and springs in said cord-holder secured to said cords tending to retract said cords into said cord-holder, but against the action of which springs said cords can be drawn out from said cord-holder.

3. A planning display board according to claim 1 wherein said board includes blocking means, normally in a non-blocking position but actuated automatically by the movement of said cord-holder into said open position, for blocking the panel elements other than said closest panel element in their positions against any movement towards said cord-holder.

4. A planning display board according to claim 1 wherein said cord-holder is in the form of a panel abutting said closest panel element and carrying visible cards, one per cord, said cord-holder panel being located, in its closed position, substantially in the same plane as said panel elements.

5. A planning display board according to claim 1 wherein said hinge means comprises an upper hinge located at the upper part of said cord-holder and a lower hinge located at the lower part of said cord-holder, each said hinge comprising a first pin and a second pin, first and second grooves fixed with respect to said support and receiving said pins, said first and second grooves being set at an angle to each other such that the concomitant movements of said pins in said grooves result in the combination of a rotation and a translation of the cordholder which does not modify substantially the length of any cords secured to the panel elements in the course of the movement of the cord-holder.

6. A planning display board according to claim 4 wherein the edge of the cord-holder panel abutting the corresponding edge of the closest panel element includes a ramp acting upon the corresponding edge of the closest panel element when the panel is returned to its closed position to retain the closest panel element in position when said closest panel element was in place, or was reintroduced in place behind the cord-holder panel, while the cord-holder panel was in the open position.

7. A planning display board according to claim 1 and slideways at the top and bottom of said support in which said panel elements are slidably mounted.

8. A planning display board according to claim 3 and release members at the top and bottom of the panel element adjacent said closest panel element and including control push buttons, said blocking means acting on said push buttons to release the blocking of the movement of the panel elements other than said closest panel element when the latter has been withdrawn and the cordholder panel has been returned to its closed position.

9. A planning display board according to claim 8 wherein said push button includes a rod and said blocking means includes a spring-urged bolt having an opening therein, said cord-holder acting on said bolt against action of its spring when the cord holder is in its closed position to hold said bolt in a position in which said rod passes freely through said bolt opening, said rod including a groove into which the edges of said bolt opening extend when said bolt is released by movement of said cordholder into its open position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,412,238 12/1946 Wassell 116-135 2,589,812 3/1952 Hoskins.

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner W. H. GRIEB, Assistant Examiner 

